Florida Pirogue/dory

[ZipSnipe]

Hello all, Just found this site a few months ago and decided I wanted to join in on the fun.

So here we have the mahogany ribs lined up on a crappy strongback



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And here's the bow



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And here she is before glass



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I have pictures of it glassed I just haven't gotten it uploaded yet. I also had to added a keel and foam to the back of the boat and shaped it to the hull to fix a major problem where the back end had too much rocker.
So the over all plan is to build a mini console and add outriggers with an electric trolling motor and steering wheel, and possibly a bimini top. I made the sides a little deeper than most of what you guys did becuz I'll have it in a very busy river with wakes from other boats.
Her diminsions are 15' x 28" on the bottom with the rails at 32" and the sides 14"
More too come...

 

[ZipSnipe]

Well here's the repair I had to do, see I cheezed on the strongback and also becuz I did the ribs and the bottom first, I ended up with a bent rocker which I just kept looking at and saying no thats not right. So the solution was to build up the back end with foam and a keel that runs up to the mid point.

So as of now, outta of money and the project is on hold until I have my central ac unit replaced hopefully this week, its a scorcher down here!!!!

 

[oldsparkey]

Best to get the A/C fixed , it is warm around here in the central part of Florida , upper 90's with a heat index of 104 and they say pretty soon in the 106 range. Not as bad as a person I know on the Louisiana , Texas Border who has been having it get into the 108 to 110 heat index.

Not the best weather for boating so you have some time to get the boat done and then enjoy it without feeling like you are in a frying pan.
Your progress on the boat is moving along and it will be interesting to see it completed and on the water.

Chuck.....

 

[BEARS BUDDY]

So as of now, outta of money and the project is on hold until I have my central ac unit replaced hopefully this week, its a scorcher down here!!!!

Welcome aboard!
At least your epoxy will set fast. Nice boat. Keep us up to date.

 

[ZipSnipe]

Well the graphite bottom is done and she's getting her final coat of epoxy on the outside. Still need to do the inside next, I also picked up a 44lb thrust trolling motor which I'll start making the mount for it this coming week, more to come.....



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[ZipSnipe]

Well I ran into a huge problem. The area behind my shop where I planned to keep the boat is too small. The boat just fits in there, however I still have to add the engine mount, which will add 6 to 10 inches out the back. Now one option I am considering is cutting a foot off the back up to the next rib.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Reminds me of the 50's, when guys would get a Continental kit on the back of their cars to look sporty. And then, had to extend their garages to cover the new toy.

Maybe you could cut a chunk out of the middle of the boat to shorten it a bit? Duct tape will hold it together, I'm sure.

 

[Jimmy W]

Make a mount to mount the motor to one side of the boat. http://www.ehow.com/how_4450467_make-canoe-motor-mount.html

 

[ZipSnipe]

A lil update


This is the sideview of the boat on the trailer I made to pull behind the bike



and view



The deck, notice the mahogany veneer worked great to cover a sanding mistake



This is the steering mechanism , the top part will connect to the trolling motor shaft which has an identical bracket on it and the bottom will crossover towards the center console to 2 pulleys that will then head up to the steering wheel where it has an identical bracket.

Well I still need to finish glassing the inside, build the center console and need to move the axle up a foot on the trailer, I'll just use the bike to pull to the river and yes it will be heavy so as soon as I can afford it I'll buy a canoe/boat trailer to use to pull it behind the workvan. More to come..........

 

[ZipSnipe]

Update



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Nothin real fancy, just got the center console attached to the boat. I did learn that going from 4 oz cloth to 8 oz(by accident) was a huge pain as the 8 oz is really hard to work the air out. And it required a lot of sanding so much sanding that I gave up sanding it perfectly and just settled on getting it done so I can get it in the water.

Well I still need to make the seat for the captain and then varnish all exposed wood and she'll be ready to go.

 

[Oldironsides]

Great lookin boat and great idea! Make sure you post when your gonna put er' in the water I live right hear in town and would Love ta see er' float! Not ta mention I have some ideas I'd like ta bounce off of ya! Keep up the good work!

 

[ZipSnipe]

Thanx ironsides, it will probably be next summer before I put her in the water. I still need to make the captains seat and I got a host of other stuff I have to get done first.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Will it have a single cylinder "pugga da pugga da" engine? Or, steam?

 

[ZipSnipe]

Would be kool to do one of those steam engines in it huh?

Nah just a 45lb trolling motor, I removed the controller off the head mount on the trolling motor and now its mounted inside the console, if ya look close you can see a short shaft sticking out of the console's side, I still need to fab the throttle handle for it.

 

[Kayak Jack]

A battery or two will weigh less - and take up WAY less space - than a stack of coal or wood. But - chuffa chuffa chuffa would sound neat.

 

[ZipSnipe]

Here's an update


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Boat has final varnish



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Dry storage installed



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Console seat installed



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Compass and volt meter installed



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Trolling motor mounted with steering cables attached



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From the aft looking towards the console



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Steering cables attached to steering wheel( this was extremely difficult)



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Throttle handle for trolling motor attached

Just need the battery and wire it all up and she's ready to go. I was originally going to use a 15watt solar panel but have since learned that I will need at least a 50 watt panel if I want it to charge while I'm using the battery, so thats more money( $140 bucks delivered).
Then I have to decide how I will mount the solar panel, one idea is to make a t -top for the boat which I thought would be kool but still undecided. It really boils down to economics!!! More to come!!!!!

 

[WDfrmTN]

THAT, friend Zip, is ORIGINAL!

 

[ZipSnipe]

Thanx I thought so too, I couldn't find anything like it on the web. I plan to do out riggers too but thats still in the design phase

 

[shikeswithcanoe]

Hey Zip thats one cool looking vessel you have there. I myself have been dreaming of powering a small boat with a trolling motor, but the significant other wasn't going to let me drop several hundred on even a cheap trolling motor and deep cycle battery, so I've just been dreaming for years. But recently I have been given a pretty good and powerful trolling motor and a battery so now its time to take action

I have a 17 foot two person kayak. I think with one person, a battery, and trolling motor that thing will scoot right along.

But the reason I am posting is to make this suggestion. If you have a heavy ole lead acid battery in that boat (and the other bits of metal and trolling motor) you really need to be sure if you get swamped you'll float well. I wouldnt count on that front compartment you have. With Murphy's law the second you get swamped is the time you'll find you didnt put that hatch on right like you thought you did.

A cheap and dirty way to ensure flotation would be to get a bunch of plastic jugs and tie em to various places on the boat (make sure you have enough). Another would be to go to Walmart and get the el cheapo camping/sleeping pads. They are blue, about 3/8 inch thick, 20 inches wide, 72 inches long, and are made of polyolefin and cost about six bucks. I've used em to make seat cushions and line the bottom of my canoe. I don't think the stuff will hold up to years of outdoor sun exposure, but it has held up to years of every weekend exposure.

If I recall correctly each pad will float about 20 lbs. Four pads should do you fine. You could glue them or secure them to the inside sides of your boat. The nasty non-water based contact cement seems to work fine with this stuff.

I'd just hate to see your boat end up in Davey Jones locker.

 

[ZipSnipe]

Thanx Shikes for the suggestion, but it will probably go in the water once or maybe twice at the most before I put the out riggers on. The idea is pretty much in my head, I plan to do fold up outriggers with 4 foot long airtight compartments. I'm just working out the mounting part of it most likely will be epoxied on and this of course will add more weight so I have to wonder how that will effect the trolling motor and speed.